Chapter 156 He only has himself to blame
In the third month of Chu Huaiyu's campaign, frost whitened the upturned eaves of the capital city, and the glazed tiles of Chengqian Palace gleamed coldly in the morning light.
To avoid arousing suspicion, "Lu Huaimin" would enter Chengqian Palace on time every day.
Lu Huaimin's eyes were gentle as he nodded slightly to Lu Zhaoxue, who was sitting on the soft couch. His tone was just as gentle as Chu Huaiyu's in the past.
Therefore, no one in the palace knew that beneath that human skin mask was actually another person.
During the day, Lu Huaimin was the monarch who reviewed memorials in the Imperial Study and also "Your Majesty" who dealt with court officials. After nightfall, Lu Huaimin would quietly retreat to the side hall of Chengqian Palace.
He guarded the boundary of the proper etiquette between ruler and subject, and also guarded the secret that could overturn the court.
...
Five days after Pei Yuanzheng's death, a heavy snow fell in the capital, landing on the glazed tiles of Princess Jinde's residence.
But the heavy snow did not extinguish the raging fire in Princess Jinde's heart; instead, it fueled the flames, intensifying her resentment towards the Lu sisters.
The maids stood silently in the corridor, listening to the shrill curses coming from the inner room. From Lu Zhaoxing to the current Empress Lu Zhaoxue, every word was unbearable to hear.
Since Pei Yuanzheng's death, Princess Jinde has been cursing the Lu sisters every day, often for an hour at a time, and she will not stop until her mouth is dry.
"If it weren't for that bitch Lu Zhaoxing constantly stirring things up, how could Pei Yuanzheng have been so determined to divorce me?"
"If Lu Zhaoxue hadn't relied on becoming Empress to help Lu Zhaoxing bully others, how could I have ended up like this!" Princess Jinde's eyes were bloodshot as she slammed the teacup on the table to the ground.
"It's all their fault! They ruined my marriage and took Pei Yuanzheng's life!"
Mo Lan, who was serving by her side, kept her head down and dared not utter a word. Her mistress was far too spoiled.
Everyone in the Princess's residence knew that Princess Jinde and Pei Yuanzheng had always been a pair of estranged lovers.
At the spring banquet that year, Princess Jinde took a liking to the exceptionally talented Pei Yuanzheng at first sight, and then threw a tantrum, forcing the Emperor to grant her a marriage.
Pei Yuanzheng had someone else in his heart and was unwilling to obey, but he could not defy the imperial power and had no choice but to endure the humiliation and marry this noblewoman.
In the years following their marriage, Princess Jinde remained willful and capricious, frequently beating and scolding servants, and often speaking harshly to Pei Yuanzheng.
Therefore, everyone speculated that Pei Yuanzheng had reached his limit and risked public condemnation by writing a letter of divorce to Princess Jinde without her consent.
But how could someone as proud as Jinde admit her mistakes? In her eyes, all the errors were made by others.
In recent days, the peonies and peonies in the Imperial Garden have been blooming profusely, with their vibrant yellow and purple blossoms dominating the spring scenery of the entire capital.
Lu Zhaoxing rarely had time to enter the palace, so she accompanied her sister Lu Zhaoxue on a stroll along the flower-lined paths of the Imperial Garden, her skirts gently brushing against the pebbles beneath her feet.
The two sisters were both dressed in light blue palace gowns, with identical jade hairpins adorning their temples, making it immediately clear that they were sisters.
A warm breeze gently blew by, ruffling the stray hairs at Lu Zhaoxing's temples. She raised her hand to tuck the hair behind her ear, a gentle smile playing on her lips.
"Zhaoxing, how have you been getting along with Minghe lately?" Lu Zhaoxue turned her head, her gaze falling on her younger sister's slightly shy face, her tone full of concern.
Now, as Empress, she is in charge of the six palaces. Although she is no longer the naive girl she once was, in front of her younger sister, she is still the same Lu Zhaoxue she always was.
Lu Zhaoxing's cheeks began to flush slightly, like ripe peaches on a branch. She nodded gently and said slowly, "My husband treats me very well. The other night, he even accompanied me to see the lantern market. The lanterns on the street were more exquisite than the last."
"Minghe also said that when he has some free time in a while, he will take me to Jiangnan to see the famous West Lake in Hangzhou."
When Shen Minghe was mentioned, Lu Zhaoxing's eyes lit up dramatically, as if they were filled with stars, a look of being nourished by love. It seemed that Shen Minghe really treated Lu Zhaoxing very well.
Seeing her younger sister's happy expression, Lu Zhaoxue couldn't help but chuckle and reached out to hold her hand.
"That would be best. If you can be happy, your sister will be at ease."
The two sisters smiled at each other, their eyes overflowing with warmth like spring water soaked in honey, making even the blooming peonies around them seem to lose some of their color.
The smile that spread across Lu Zhaoxue's eyes was full of relief and affection.
The two sisters chatted about many everyday things, from the new tea in the palace to the jade carving that Minghe made for Chu Lingyang. Just as they were getting into the conversation, a series of hurried footsteps came, accompanied by a sharp shout, which suddenly broke the tranquility of the garden.
"Lu Zhaoxing! You stop right there!"
Princess Jinde, dressed in a crimson palace gown, rushed over, her usual dignified demeanor completely gone.
Her eyes were bloodshot as she stared intently at Lu Zhaoxing, her gaze filled with a hatred that seemed to want to devour him alive.
"Lu Zhaoxing! How dare you still have the nerve to sit here and enjoy the flowers?"
Lu Zhaoxing's smile vanished instantly. She frowned slightly, looking at Princess Jinde, who appeared to be insane, with a hint of coldness in her eyes.
Princess Jinde, however, acted as if she didn't see Lu Zhaoxue right beside her, pointing her finger at Lu Zhaoxing's nose and angrily shouting, "It's all your fault! It's all because of you that Pei Yuanzheng was ruined! If you hadn't interfered, why would Pei Yuanzheng have insisted on divorcing me?!"
"If it weren't for you, how could Pei Yuanzheng have been sentenced to death by my imperial brother? You had Shen Minghe, yet you still went to seduce Pei Yuanzheng. You deserve to die a horrible death!"
These words distorted the truth and confused right and wrong, making Lu Zhaoxing so angry that he laughed instead.
Lu Zhaoxing straightened his back and said in a cold voice, "Princess Jinde, you are truly born with a silver tongue that can twist right and wrong! It was clearly you who was willful and capricious, forcing Pei Yuanzheng into marriage, ruining his future! And in the end, you even took his life!"
"Now look what you've done! You're actually trying to pin all this on me. You're truly the one who falsely accuses others, utterly shameless!"
"You're talking nonsense!" Princess Jinde, her sore spot touched, lunged at him in a frenzy.
"I didn't! It's all your fault! You're the one who ruined Pei Yuanzheng..."
Before Princess Jinde could finish speaking, Lu Zhaoxue's face turned ashen. Memories of how Princess Jinde had repeatedly bullied Lu Zhaoxing, relying on her status, flooded her mind.
Today, with old and new grudges intertwined, Lu Zhaoxue could no longer tolerate it.
"Insolence!" Lu Zhaoxue shouted sternly, her voice carrying an undeniable authority.
"Guards! Slap me in the face!"
Two strong palace maids immediately stepped forward and restrained Princess Jinde, who was still struggling. The crisp sound of slaps echoed throughout the Imperial Garden, landing hard on Princess Jinde's face again and again.
Her fair cheeks instantly swelled up, but she continued to curse and swear, using foul language that was unbearable to hear.
"How dare you hit me?! Wait until my brother returns..."
Looking at Princess Jinde's disgraceful behavior, Lu Zhaoxue felt nothing but disgust and coldly rebuked her: "Jinde! You are truly ignorant of your own limitations! I have been lenient with you because you are His Majesty's own sister, but you have repeatedly spoken rudely to Zhaoxing and distorted the truth!"
"You dare to act so presumptuously in the Imperial Garden today! You disregard palace rules and even your position as Empress! What if I have someone beat you?!"
Lu Zhaoxing stepped forward, his gaze icy cold, his tone filled with bone-chilling hatred: "Princess Jinde, think this through carefully! Whose fault is it that Pei Yuanzheng died?!"
"If you hadn't forced His Majesty to betroth him to you as his son-in-law, how could he have ended up like this? You ruined Pei Yuanzheng's promising future with your own hands, you took his life! What right do you have to criticize me here?!"
These words were like daggers, each one piercing the heart of Princess Jinde.
She stood there, stunned, the pain on her face and the shock in her heart intertwined. For a moment, she forgot to struggle and just stared blankly at Lu Zhaoxing, a trace of confusion flashing in her eyes.
Lu Zhaoxue was unwilling to waste any more words with her and waved her hand.
"Drag Princess Jinde into the dungeon. No one is allowed to visit her without my order!"
The palace servants dared not disobey the order and immediately helped the limp Princess Jinde out of the Imperial Garden.
Princess Jinde finally came to her senses. Watching the two sisters' retreating figures, she let out a heart-wrenching cry: "Let me go! Let me go! I am a princess! How dare you treat me like this! My royal brother will not let you get away with this—"
Princess Jinde's cries grew fainter and fainter, eventually fading into the spring colors of the garden.
Lu Zhaoxing gazed in the direction where Princess Jinde had disappeared and sighed softly.
A gentle breeze swept by, swirling up a few fallen petals that landed on Lu Zhaoxing's shoulder, like a silent sigh.
Lu Zhaoxue reached out and brushed the fallen flowers off her sister's shoulder, saying gently, "Zhaoxing, don't take it to heart. Jinde only has himself to blame."
"Remember this: never waste your time and energy on unworthy people or things. Once today's matter is over, turn the page on it completely."
Lu Zhaoxing nodded, a smile returning to her lips. Sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees, casting a warm and bright glow on her face.
Princess Jinde's fate was simply the result of her own actions, a consequence of her own actions.
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